EXTENT OF CHALLENGE AHEAD BECOMING CLEAR

GHA RFC MATCH 194: HILLHEAD / JORDANHILL RFC 20 – 13 GHA RFC 

2010/2011: Scottish Premiership Two

It looks like being a long hard season for GHA. Defeat at home by Jed-Forest last
week was followed by an away loss against Hillhead/Jordanhill.

A bonus point was taken from that Hughenden defeat. However, it is a worry feature
of the Premier Two league table that GHA are not at the foot of the ladder only
through alphabetical advantage. The Braidholm club have the same points-difference
as Kirkcaldy.

In a messy match, with excitement generated only by the closeness of the scoring
throughout, GHA held the lead briefly after a Donald Malcolm try in 27 minutes. At
almost the same time in the second half a Stuart Keenan try pulled the visitors level
at 13-all, but the home team snatched victory when for the second time in the match
Donald Pitkethly scored on the blind side of a close-range scrum.

Over the two matches so far this season GHA have conceded seven tries, and five of
these have been scored by No.8 forwards. It may not be a significant factor: Jed No.8
scored his three off lineout drives whereas his Hughenden counterpart had his from
scrums.

Pitkethly’s first was far too easy. GHA were down to 14 men, with Simon Shearer in
the sin-bin, and yet they omitted to adequately cover the narrow side of a close-in
scrum. That was left to Morne Strydom to police, but the blind-side flanker was drawn
away as the scrum wheeled to the home team’s advantage.

GHA started brightly, though without anything to show, and the first time Hillhead/
Jordanhill had play inside the visitors half they earned a tackle penalty in nine
minutes. Gus Twaddle was just short from a step inside the GHA half, but he was on
target 13 minutes later downwind from only slightly shorter range after a scrummage
penalty.

Two minutes after that he missed again from halfway, though the tide seemed to
have turned against GHA when Patrick Hilley had to pull off a try-saving tackle inside
his own 22. Almost immediately, however, GHA found the means to run from deep,
and when Scott Lang kicked ahead Hilley followed up for what seemed a genuine try.
But it was denied because the referee called a penalty for GHA for a late tackle on
Lang.

GHA’s supporters were furious that advantage had not been allowed. Fortunately,
it was from the ensuing penalty lineout that Malcolm scored GHA’s first try. Murray
Houston could not convert from tight on the left touchline.

Twaddle restored the home club’s lead with a goal from a tackle penalty in 35
minutes, and Pitkethly’s first try with the full back’s conversion gave Hillhead/
Jordanhill a 13-5 half-time lead. But a Houston penalty goal from a tackle
infringement cut the margin to five points in the minute after the interval.

Midway in the second half GHA lost Gregg Taylor with a rib injury, and that
allowed young David Scott switch to his more accustomed role at stand-off. Almost
immediately he sparked the play that allowed Keenan to break from the home 10-
metre line and run all the way into the right corner in 63 minutes. It was too far out for
Houston to convert.

It seemed good fortune might be on GHA’s side in thwarting the home clubs late
efforts. Twaddle missed a penalty from 30 metres, and a home try from another
five-metre scrum was denied because of obstruction. But from a similar scrum in 76
minutes Pitkethly pounced again, Twaddle converting.

GHA had one last shot at salvaging a draw when Keenan and Gareth Jones charged
into the home 22. But hope ended with a knock-on in the follow-up.

Source: Bill McMurtrie